Page 13 - July1955

July, 1955 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN 203

IN MEMOn.IA1II
BESS THOP,NTON WILSON (1886-1955)-ILLINOIS
The manl' friends of X{rs. Rodney C. Wilson $'ill lle sorr}' to learn th2rt she
passed alr.:r3* on April 29th at Rockford, I1linois.
Drlring hel years as a collector Mrs. Wilson served as Vice-Presitlent of the
Illinois Stzrte Society and held \.arious omces in several district Clubs. She took
on impoft3nt assignments in the National organization also. Durins 1945 and 46'
she rvts chairrnan of the Educational TravelinS: Ex-
hil)it. In the fall of 1946, she joined the Editorial
Staff as l]evierv Editor of boohs and state publications.
She contirlued iil this capacity fot five years relin-
quishing: it because of her health. She remained on
the Staff serving in many helpful ways. She was a
Life member of our Society.
Because of her giracious personality and sincerity
of exDi'ession we gave her the "In llemoriam" column.
Just i short tirne ago, ]-our Editor lvrote Eess, stlg-
gesting, bec:Luse shc clid this difficult task so well,
itiat sie alo the ollituaries for the whole crorvd and
we flle them. ISack came her reply, with its custom-
ar-r- suarkle aucl humot, sa)-ing "for me - all that
ir..'.a-'n. said-.Bess .f. \47ilson-gone-reluctantly'."
ll'u'o days before her cleath she completecl the triblrte
to Ha rviey Crorv. It wa,s received, together lvith her
iist verr beautiflll letter, just an hour before the
teleg:ratri came saying that she, too, had passed on'
One week later, the following tribute came from
her son, Corlett. We are sharing it with you.
B€ss T. Wilson I -hile we woulcl not question the wisdom of God
in iit<ins 1\Iother 5s s66n-si1h so many joyous
iiuois st'itt undone, we can al1 give thanks to IIim
thatheleveryspoken$'ishfortheendof]ifewasfulfilletl.I{erillness
iili;.I t"t a siniie oav,'sEJ was not hospitalize6, there was .n_o sever'^e suf-
-
i"iinii. st e ciil-a'qui6itv,-"srja"iorsty, in- her ouin home, lr.ith her familv
about her-as she wlshed to do.
Thinking of her now, only one week af t-er she lvas so very f uli of -Iif e: so
l"io"icir: inlet:eitea in trre"plans and ambit-ions of those about her, so happill'
enqrossed in her buttonJ aira tne cherished associations which those buttons
h;A^ ei";; itei-it ii ir"iie easv to know what she would want said'
All the Sood lvorcls spring to mind: integrit]'.; faith; contentment -of mind
-ability;
anit sorrtf enthusiilsm: friendliness; cui iosit_l'; abiding lo!e of,beau1)'.
of naluIe. of childrcn, of animals: compassio-n for the unlortunate: de(tlcatlon
io ]i"iitii inci triena!; ancl abountling goo4 spirits. Certainlf it shottld be
marked ilrnt she \\'as an influence for good upon all those with whorn she
shar€cl her ful] and rewarding llfe.
\\rords c:rnnot completely clescribe her, but she \1'ould like best to be remeln-
rreiea-ai i itelie;htt[11t-'light-hearted stririt, an undefstanding rvife, and an
incnir.ino m^fhar .W'ILSON
CORLETT THORNTON
1\-e offr,r our cleep and abicling sympathy to her husband and famil]"
L. S. .d,
TIRS. NELLIE MARTIN-IND.IANA
lIrs. Nellie f,Iartin, Dast-president of Indiana State Button Society, and
a Life member of Natibnal, passecl alval' sucldcnl]' at Oaktown, on April 25t!.
llrs. I{artin taught vocational home economics for 34 }'ears, retiring in 1953.
She was active in nllnerous local and nationnl orgianizations; on several occa-
sions she attended our Natioilal Shows.
\ve extend our sl'mpathy to her son, Oris V;. f,Iartin and her daughter, Mrs-
Iris Hanning of Indiana. l\Iord has just come that Mrs. lfartin's son and
daughter har.e joined our organization so that they could meet some of their
rnother's friends and that they, too, could better appreciate the treasures left to
them.